8 months since my last post on the truck and I used to think 'why does it take so long to restore a simple auto?' Well, I am closing on 4 years since getting this truck and now I know!! LIFE!!
Well, seeing I had a free weekend - I decided to go through, clean up the truck a little and finally get the bed placed on the truck (just placed, not secured) and slap one of the fenders on with three nuts to make sure it all lines up.

I will be working on some smaller body parts (like fenders and such) at home for the rest of the year and get those straightened all out so I can throw all the sheet metal on and get the cab forward all done.

I am STILL trying to get tires for this truck so that will happen later than sooner!!

Anyway - a pic to tie us over:

 

I wondered where you'd been. Glad to see you're back.

 

I'm not scheduled to get back to the route (garage) until April - maybe late March - so I will have a few months to focus on getting a couple things done on the truck.....

 

Can you share which receiver hitch you put on your truck, please? I'm going to need one on my 49 F1. Thanks in Advance!

 

It came with the truck when I bought it and we were just talking about it at the shop if i need to remove anything for the bed to fit better and the answer is 'no' as looking at the original pics - the bed fit without any modifications.....

 

I am back working on the truck after a few trips on the route (Route 66) are behind me. STILL looking for tires and tubes for this thing as I am having nightmares paying full price for them. Just wanna get this things closer to wrapped up as it has been a 'restoration project' for almost 4 1/2 years now!!!

 

Went to the shop today and pulled all the tarps off and started to clean it up a little and the only thing I really was able to accomplish was fixing a bonehead move: I installed the fan backwards....
So question: I know finding the correct bolts for these 6 blade fans have been near impossible - but where does one get one (or in my case - two) bolts?

 

Man, that is an odd size. Chassis Catalog shows it's a 12-32 tpi, 1 1/16" long. Part number 355249- S. Parts Voice doesn't list it, and neither does McMaster-Carr. Somebody will have a stash from donor cores I'd suspect. I'll check my "32" drawer later when I go to the shop.

Edit - Nope, no got extras. Did pull one from my spare engine and confirmed I read the parts catalog right. Stu

Edit/edit - might make yourself a couple. Edit - Oops, seller says 12-32 tpi but picture in ad shows 12-36 tpi.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-1pc-HSS-...AAAOSw~otWcmR-

 

Sorry to admit I haven't followed your build throughout. I'm editing out my initial comments.

These are your wheel pictures. Four of one kind and one of another.






The one you call a widow maker is a Firestone AR rim as supplied on Chevy/GMC trucks of the era. Normally not termed a widow maker and can still be kept in service.



If the others are 17" original wheels THEY are the widow makers. The Firestone RH-5°. The only 17" period wheels having the 8 lug x 6.5" pattern were these two styles. If, however, the wheels are 16" they are one piece F-2 style and good to use. Stu

 

This may be the first time I have seen an actual picture of a cross section of a widowmaker. What in the world were they thinking!!!! I would think a hard bump on a curb would make those blow.

 

Unpredictable, sums it up I think. Clearly they continue to show up still in use on our new members old trucks. So they do hold together under most circumstances. But even if not badly rusted there will be wear on the joint and the risk of metal fatigue. It's undeniable the lawyers, insurance industry, and service industry that have nearly eliminated them from use know their incidences of failures. The use of cages helps ensure they are harmless during assembly, but they remain a danger while being mounted on the truck, or driving down the road. Or like the FTE member that came to me for 19.5s after an inner dual blew while he was winching his new F-4 onto the trailer.

Assuming Ed's wheels are the stock 17s as they appear to be, he may elect to go ahead and put them back in service. But finding a shop willing to mount new 7.50-17s may be difficult. Stu

 

At the very, very, very, very least - I need to do something with the tires and rims to get the truck rolling as it has been sitting outside on 4 jack stands for almost 3 years and it needs to move so I can have better access. I know I could look at getting dollies but the issue is the ground is dirt and dollies are not going to cut it. So widow makers or not is really not an issue as this just needs to get moving around a bit... it is why I asked a while back if anyone had a set of old tires / tubes / wheel set up they didn't need.

 

Spent 11 hours today and dedicated it to the truck - but was only able to get 2 hours (at best) in front of said truck.

We decided to go to a antique junkyard and spent 4 hours there looking for parts for my buddy's 51 F1 and I found a battery tray (I have a tray for a straight 6 and now I have an flathead 8 installed so the tray is not correct) and after finding one and trying for almost an hour in the 107 degree heat - I called it quits.

Headed over to my other buddy's house and took the lower part of the front end sheet metal for him to look at and he started pounding it out and welded a few spots and now I need to spend an hour or two finishing it up. I actually thought it was too bad to save. He proved me wrong.



Then we went to a guy who I found on CL who was selling flathead parts and bought a few things which were not even flathead related!

Oh, was able to put a dab or two of filler on the truck before I left for the day. Tomorrow is another day.

 

Day 2 of 3

I have to say I am trying to spend about 10 hours a day working in the PHX heat (we have been well over a 100 degrees and my neck and face have paid the price!!) but I am also playing 'dueling Ford trucks' between my 49 F3 and my buddy's 51 F1. He has a running / driving truck which needs to be brought back to stock and a paint job, so when I can, I jump on my truck....

So when you are not fretting about the engine, the trans, the brakes, the wheels, you remember you have a truck with many more parts than what I just mentioned.... and sometimes you forget you have issues to try to fix.

I had both of the inner fenders blasted and powder coated almost 2 years ago and decided it was time for a test fit. The drivers side went in like a dream and was able to put on the fender bracket and it all lined up.




The passengers side.... not so well:


I knew the truck was in a little fender bender but the outer fenders where not even touched. After trying to fit the passengers side - it was SO OFF I had to pretty much beat it for a half hour to get it even close to being within 2 inches of the radiator bracket holes and then just gave up. Even if I can get it a little more straight, I wouldn't want the radiator support being pulled so tight... will have to look for another inner fender......

Then the daunting task of damn broken door hinge screws... I had two of the four with busted screws so this was going to suck:



After about 2 hours, they were all gone:



Then I figured I need to start getting the doors ready for painting (one day) and totally forgot the drivers door did not have the window actuator and door opening mechanism. I had a few actuators but forgot I did not have the mechanism for opening the door so I will need that.....



Then started going through storage bins of parts and trying to figure out what I need to order/buy/beg/borrow/steal and I have a feeling the list will be long.

Tomorrow we work on the 51 F1 and then I will focus some attention on the truck. I am HOPING to get some paint on it (interior of the cab would be nice!!)....

Then it will be away from the truck for a while as I have to travel and have out of town trips.

 

Day 3 of 3

13 hours in the PHX heat and you sweat more than you work!

Spent a good chunk of the day working on my buddy's 51 F1 - we worked on pulling the bed to paint the cab and doors and in the heat it took some time to sand, bondo, sand, prime, sand, paint. But, by 9pm we pretty much got what he needed to do - done...:



In between tasks on the 51, I jumped on what I could on my truck.

I forgot I needed to put the front cab mounts in as the rear ones were in (never fought a part so hard in my life when I put the rears in!!!)

One of the previous owners decided it would be a smart move to slice the opening for the radio right down the middle, so we welded it and had to grind the weld down:


I decided to throw the rims on the truck to get them off the ground.The truck is still on the jacks and is not going anywhere soon:


I also took the hood out of the bed and placed it on the truck to A) cover the engine and B) I had to sand part of it and beat it with the body hammers. It's about 95% there to be painted:


I then started to test fit the doors to make sure the hinge supports are good and they were. Also decided to clean up the space and place everything in the bed so it is all in one place:


I also had to weld up the middle sheet metal piece which connect the two front fenders above the grill. There were a few bolts which broke off and had to get those out.

I have a rear fender (in good shape) for a 48-50 F1. I cannot remember which side it was for....

I will be away from the truck for a bit but brought a few small pieces home to work on. I need to get the interior of the cab painted so I can start building this thing!!